No Lies, No Truths
by starlightserenity
Summary: After Shantotto causes a tear in the Void, the next cycle must take place in a new world with rules unlike any other. Now each warrior must fight for their life or face elimination.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: End of the cycle.

It was the end of yet another cycle. The gods of Harmony and Discord were summoned to the throne of Shinryu. It was a round area filled with crystals of all shapes and sizes and in every color of the rainbow and some colors only the gods could see.

And there I, Cid of the Lufaine, was trying my hardest to make myself comfortable on a crystal chair. Not the softest material in the world, mind you.

It was the usual after battle report, given every thousandth cycle. But not this time. This was the fifth cycle, though it was infinately more so. Every now and again even the gods and Shinryu would forget the order and the count would begin anew.

"Cosmos, you are being tried on count of assisting the warrior Shantotto in her escape from the cycle." said Shinryu, not really moving his lips, he didn't have lips, but telepathiclly as all god-dragons do, Kaiser, for instance or Yiazmat when he wasn't cycloning everything to gods know where. "Due to your failure to stop her you have caused a tear in the Rift."

I shook a little at the thought. The Void held many things. None of them pleasant. Normally, the void is left alone. The Cloud of Darkness and Exdeath make only small tears, not enough to damage the cycle or bring anything with them.

The last time the Void was torn open was when the warriors of Hydaelyn tried to escape. They met their end before Enuo and Shinryu had to step in. Since then no warriors from the world have been summoned.

"I plead guilty" said Cosmos, in her usual perfect pitch voice, her beauty so raidiant, you could say she glowed. Goddess of harmony and neat freak was actually being beat to death by Garland at the time because her main guard was escaping and the other was fending off every other Chaos warrior, probably while ranting about light and goodness. But that didn't stop her.

"Then I, Shinryu Di Kaiser, sentence you to life in the Eternal Cycle!" Spoke the dragon, in his I'm almighty and you know it tone. Never did get used to that. Its like his voice is everywhere and nowhere at once. He also has voices that come together as one.

"Bwahaha" laughed Chaos, god of discord known for his off key singing voice and living in the middle of a volcano with his "roomate" Garland. Why they haven't just come out, I'll never know. We all know, Chaos, its okay.

Cosmos was taken aback by such a sentence. Why? It was expected of her to be. It was really nothing at all to her, being immortal, but that's how it is.

"And, in addition no warriors from the same world will participate in the next cycle and any yet to come." said Shinryu. I could almost hear Cosmos squeal that another world had been spared from fighting. Two in the last ten thousand wasn't bad.

It came time for me to give my report. Each cycle causes damage to the world we use, and as such needs repairing. I've created the gates to minimize damage to the main world, but if a gate is destroyed...

"The tear in the Void is massive, I'm afraid we're going to have to call off the next cycle. That is, unless you want something like Enuo coming out again."

"You think I would be foolish enough to allow him into my domain?"

"Didn't stop him from coming in uninvited last time, did it?"

"Human, you will know your place, lest your place be the depths of the very Void you speak of!"

"Well then, you should find a new place for your cycle then, cause this one's out for at least one. That's how about as long as it'll take for me to stitch up this tear." He knows very well I can get out of there. I'm as immortal as the gods that float around me and he knows it.

"Hmph very well" the dragon grunted, in his very disatisfied voice. I like to think he ate a very constipated person to get that voice.

Then a flash of bright light enveloped us. Its always bright light. Can't there be bright darkness? Not all dark is dark.

When I was not blinded by light, I was floating, above an island with the most massive of stadiums I had ever seen.

"This is the Island of Light and Dark." Said Shinryu, "it lies beyond the Void but not beyond time, that is a different area entirely. It is here that the next cycle will take place. Cosmos, Chaos, I want you to summon as many warriors as you wish. From any world you can."

"If I may ask, why do ask for so many warriors?" asked the goddess.

"This place, it has its own rules. They are not like our own and its powers are equal to mine, I cannot change it, so we will follow them. The most important of these rules is that we cannot fully erase the memories of the warriors, the second is that battles must be fought one on one in that arena."

"And this all means?" I asked.

"This means that the whole cycle will be held in a tournament fashion, with the winner being of either Cosmos or Chaos. Go now, summon your warriors!" Shinryu then turned to me, "Now, fix the stadium, it has broken from disuse. Then you will repair the damage to my world."

"You know I'm a scholar, not an engineer right?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Arrival

_Water._

It was the first thing Sora noticed when he arrived. The second was the glowing woman appearing to be standing on water. The third was the many warriors that were knee deep and all around him. Some he knew from his adventures, but most were unfamiliar to him. _Leon, Cloud, Tifa, Vivi... What's everyone doing here? _He thought, scrathing his head, confused. He started wading toward Leon when the floating woman spoke.

"Greetings, brave warriors! I am Cosmos, Goddess of harmony and keeper of order. You, the strongest of warriors from across time and space, have been chosen to fight in a grand tournament for the glory of your world and the honor of the title Omega Champion!" announced Cosmos.

A few warriors shifted around a bit, unsure of the idea. Squall gave a signal to his squad to be ready to attack at the first signs of a trap. Lightning, not trusting anything having to do with anything like a God, kept her hand on her gunblade. Her team did the same.

"You have nothing to fear. I only wish to see who among you is the greatest." said the Goddess, placing her hands over her heart. It wasn't as easy to convince warriors to fight for her when they didn't have their memories erased. But Shinryu had declared that all the warriors would keep their memories. He gave no reason, but his word was law.

Lightning was suspicious. "So you called us all here so we can fight for your entertainment?" she said, her voice thick with malice. She wasn't going to serve a Goddess or anyone else. Bracing for attack, she tightened her grip on her weapon.

Fang stepped in, hoping to prevent a fight where they were horribly outnumbered. "Now now, Light. Give er' a chance. I wouldn't mind gettin' in an brawl with some of these guys," she said, motioning toward one of the groups and, more specifically, Auron. "An' maybe you'll get a shot at Snow! And-"

"And what about our Focus?" yelled Lightning, unzipping her jacket and revealing the mark underneath, the red eye glaring at Fang. The mark of a L'Cie, humans who would serve demigods lest they become Cieth, monsters who failed their task. "You may not be Branded anymore, but we are. I'll be dammned if I turn into one of them"

"Lightning Farron, you and any from your world have had your Focus temporarily halted by me." said Cosmos "All of your worlds have had the passage of time paused for the time you are here. None of you or any of your worlds are in danger, and you will return to your homes at the end of the tournament."

The words of the Goddess made their mark. Any who had doubts were starting to realize that she was telling the truth. Even Lightning untensed and calmed down, though her hand still rested on her blade.

Cosmos let out a sigh of relief. If even one of her warriors had attacked she would have been forced to remove them and that would make their team mates hostile, leaving her with a major disadvantage against the forces of Chaos. "Thank you for your participation, everyone. I will now explain the rules of the tournament. Please listen, I do not wish to see anyone hurt or disqualified."

The Goddess cleared her throat, it wasn't needed, her voice was eternally clear and audible, but she did it out of old habits. "Rule one, all matches will be one on one until otherwise stated. Rule two, no warrior will die as a result of a match. They will be revived at the end of the match. Rule three, a warrior is defeated when they are incompacitated in any way, are knocked out of the arena, should it have a boundary, fail to participate, or cheat in any way. There are other rules that apply, but you will see for yourselves how they work."

"We have provided you with shelter during your stay here" said Cosmos, pointing toward the cabins that stood nearby. "If you have any needs or wants, please ask." Having to play waiter to humans would be a disgrace to other Gods, but Cosmos was happy to serve the warriors who in turn served her. Besides, she didn't get to use her Godly might often. "There are no set bedding arrangements. As such I hope you will all take this time to meet each other. The first match will begin in two hours. Prepare yourselves, as anyone may be chosen."

With her last words Cosmos vannished in a burst of light. The warriors began to mingle with each other, learning about worlds new to them.

0-0-0

**A/N:**

**Sorry for the delay, I read over my first chapter and was like "Gently caress this mess." so I took some time to work on my ideas to make up for that. Despite that, I'm suprised at how many readers I got! Thank you, everyone who read so far and a big virtual hug to those who favorited/followed!**

**I'll have the first match up really soon, promise! I want to do a bit more reasearch to make sure I have them be true to their abilities and personalities. But from what I have so far, it'll be awesome.**

**Oh! I forgot this last chapter, but here we go...**

**I don't own anything.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Cabin # 10

After Cosmos departed, one of the warriors stepped forward to explain the bedding arrangements. There was something in there about "Fostering friendship" and "Assistance in trials to come" and "Light" but the main point was that they came directly from Cosmos. Many groans were made and suspicious glances were thrown about, but the warrior insisted that "until further notice" the arrangement stood. As no one really wanted to start a full on brawl, much less with a goddess, they reluctantly agreed.

So, with three other people whom he didn't know and certainly didn't trust, Hope entered his cabin, marked as #10. He gasped at the interior. While on the outside the cabin looked to be nothing more than just that, on the inside it was just that. A main room with a wooden table, two bookshelves, and a small kitchen area. The main room had four doors, two on each side, leading to what he assumed to be their rooms.

Looking around, he easily found his room, the sign hanging from it with his name. He stepped inside and found something he had been dreaming of since the day he was turned into a L'cie.

A bed!

He sprang onto the bed, kicking off his shoes in one swift movement. He was finally able to sleep on something besides dirt! No more sleep shifts, no more night ambushes, no one hunting him! He could care less that the people around him had all been choosen because of their killing abillity, because at least he could die rested.

He curled himself up and snuggled close to his pillow, set to drift to sleep, his eyelids heavy. He had closed his eyes when a light knocking forced them wide open in shock.

"Excuse me, um.. Hope is it?" came a soft voice from behind the door. "we were meeting each other and we would like it if you would introduce yourself."

"Oh. Ok I'll be out in a sec." he replied, rubbing his eyes. It would be simple, he thought, meet his roomates then go back to bed and only see them when he needed to, if at all.

Hope left his room to find that the others were gathered around the table, and the three were eying him expectantly. He sat on the seat closest to him, a little nervous.

A boy stood up, younger than him and covered in red armor. He had to stand on the chair as only his head would be visible if he were on the floor. "My name is Luneth!" he said in a cheery voice "I'm what's called an 'Onion Knight' a title given only to the bravest of the brave and the strongest of the strong! Me and my friends are out to save the world from darkness! And... that's it." The boy quickly sat down, beaming with pride.

The girl stood up next, her long, green, ponytail waving as she did. "I'm Terra Branford and uh... I'm from Narshe... I think," she rested her chin on her hand, thinking. "I don't really know for sure, but Narshe is nice. There's a lot of snow, and good people, and... I'm sorry. I'm boring, aren't I?" she sat down quickly, blushing a bit from embarassment.

"I don't think so, Terra," said Luneth, "there's not much snow where I come from. Could you tell me about Narshe later?" Terra nodded her head and the two turned to the next person.

The man stood up so fast it made Hope jump! "Name's Wakka, ya?" he said, full of confidence. Hope thought he looked right at home on the beach. "I'm Yuna's guardian! We're on a mission to destroy Sin and bring the Calm back to Spira!"

"Uh... Wakka?" said Hope, "what does all that mean?"

"Huh?" he asked, scratching his head in confusion with an equally confused face. Suddenly he understood. "Oh yeah!" he said, making Hope jump again, "see, Sin's a giant fiend and he goes and destroys people. And that's bad. So Yuna's gonna defeat it and bring the Calm, ya?" Feeling like his roomates understood him, Wakka sat down, proud of his introduction.

Three pairs of eyes set themselves on Hope. He stood up, "Hi, I'm Hope and... um..." what did they expect? He didn't have some kind of hero life like them, he was just trying not to become a monster. "I'm just me." he sat back down, feeling a bit ashamed.

Everyone else in his team had a life, a soldier, a pilot, two hunters, whatever Snow did, but he was just a teenager. Before he was a L'cie he was just... normal.

"Okay, thank you Wakka and Hope," said Terra happily, "Luneth, you wanted to talk?"

Hope walked to his room, his head hung low. At least he would be getting some sleep now.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Cabin #5

Edgar Roni Figaro, king of Figaro Castle, ally to the Empire, was content. He had everything he could ever want here. Women, women, and, most importantly, women. It wasn't that he never had anything else on his mind, his subjects were above all else. But with the goddess, a beautiful one at that, assuring him that his kingdom was safe, he had to have something to keep him occupied!

His room was a perfect replica of his castle's royal chamber... minus the castle. The king sized bed, velvet pillows, and satin sheets. Perfect. He reached out for the switch that would rotate his bed "right round" as he put it. An important aspect of his chambers, in unison with the mirrored ceiling, provided his guests with hours of entertainment.

But what was this? The switch was missing! This would never do! Edgar lept from his bed and opened his tool trunk with haste. For not only was he king. He was a master of machinery! He set to work, all the while thinking of his lovely roomates.

First there was the beautiful Rosa, pride of Baron. He was taken from the moment her kissed her hand, unbelievably soft for the hand of a warrior. He would have taken her for a princess or queen if she had not denied it herself. No lies could come from such a ravishing face. Could she wipe away his blood stained past? Could she heal the fissures in his heart... among other things?

Then there was Rinoa, whose childlike innocence, raven hair, and chocolate brown eyes gave her an angelic aura of beauty. But she wasn't all looks. No! She had a rebel spirit that would never fail her. When she laid eyes on him, he felt that he could fight off the whole world as her knight. Would she be the one to pinch him, softly, but sure to let him know he was not dreaming?

Lastly, came Tifa, the brawler of Midgar. Though she was strong, she used her power only to help her friends, and never for evil. She was known far and wide for her kindly nature as well as her punches and... her breasts. Would she break through his rough and emotionally broken spirit and reach the lover hidden within?

Only time would tell.

He continued to work, now at a much faster clip as he daydreamed of his newest aquaintences.


	5. Sharing, in cabin 14

Chapter 5: Cabin #14

Auron, Shadow, and Cid Highwind sat at their table, awaiting the last member of their cabin to sit down for tea.

Cid noticed the large dog lying at Shadow's side. For some reason, it was staring at him. "That uh, dog got a name?" he asked, a little shaky as the massive dog yawned.

"His name is Interceptor," said the ninja, coolly, "he eats hands."

Cid quickly moved his hand away from the dog "Well he must be eatin' somethin' good big as he is. Why's he named Interceptor?"

"When I am assigned a target that flees, he takes them down. Its more for sport than anything else. Sometimes he let's them get ahead first."

Cid was a little suprised at this. Just a little though. Most of the ninjas he knew were Yuffie and she was... different. Deciding not to talk to the man with the gigantic dog, he turned his attention instead to the man in front of him.

"So uh, that sleeve thing, is yer arm broke or somethin?"

"No." replied Auron.

"Then why do ya wear it?" He asked puzzled.

"By using only one arm at any given time, it allows my opponent to fight on equal terms with me."

"Eh. One of the honorable types huh? Most of the world's gone too soft these days, with their fightin' dirty. Good to know there's still some of us who do our fightin with honor."

The room fell silent again.

"All right everyone! I'm all ready!" Came a female voice from the next room. The door swung open revealing a young woman. "Choco-boco-lina!" She yelled happily.


	6. Words of Wisdom with Cid

Chapter 6: Words of Wisdom from Cid.

The two hours were up and the warriors had taken their seats, the Cosmos warriors on one side dand the forces of Chaos on the other. Two figures stood in the center of the stadium, a large block of stone.

"Greetings warriors!" Came an unfamiliar voice, "I am Cid of the Lufaine. I have modified this stadium for our lovely little tournament! How you ask?"

The stands remained quiet.

"Well then, see for yourselves!"

A rumbling came from underneath the stadium, causing some of the warriors to jump. Then, from the center of the stadium a white throne appeared, water flowing from its white base. The water turned the stone to white marble, and rounded its square edges into a circle. Then strange marble formations sprouted from the floor. Lastly the sky above the stadium became cloudy, with rays of light poking through.

"This is Order's Sanctuary" said Cid, proudly, "or a recreation of it. The fighting arena uses the same blend of magic and technology as Castle Oblivion. For you guys that don't know, the layout is based on memories. I've taken a sample of each of the warrior's memory and then the stadium creates a copy of it. The number of arenas that can be replicated is based only upon your memories."

The warriors were a bit confused but understood that there were a lot of arenas.

"So now then, rules. Basicly, you get hit, you take damage. Take enough, and you lose. Hit triangle to dodge, R1 to block, etc. You know how to fight. A ring out is a loss. This arena has 'invisible walls' that keep you from falling out, but they won't all have them, so be ready!"

"Next is your weapons. Simply get into the pose you would take if holding your weapon and it will appear in your hand. That is, if you don't carry it with you. Your weapons are reduced to the basic, or iconic, versions normally, but certain things can make them power up."

"Then we have assists. If you get in trouble, or need to beat someone down, or feel lonely in your match, just call the name of one of your roomates and they'll be transported to your position. They'll stay for ten seconds, or until they use an attack then Poof! They'll be gone for the rest of the fight. So think wisely!"

"Items can be brought in, but are limited to what you bring. No more than five identical items can be brought in either. Can't have you using like ninety-nine elixirs in a row."

"Lastly, summons. Some of you are attached to your Aeons, GFs, and Eidoleons. Natural born summoners like Yuna and Rydia can use any of theirs at anytime. Just like on their own world. You L'cie can bring out yours and use them like you would, but only in Gestalt mode, so for about thirty seconds to a minute and then they're gone. Anyone else can use them once per battle and you're limited to what you bring in. None of this applies to GF abilities, because we know you guys are almost helpless without them."

Squall mumbled something along the lines of "Only until I get my Lionheart."

"Now there's some other things, but I think its best if you learn on your own. Now I'll turn you over to Chaos."

"Pathetic mortals! Grovel before me, for Cosmos was slain by my hands!" Said Chaos, fire and brimstone erupting around him as he raised all four of his arms toward the sky.

"No Chaos, I'm right here. We moved that to the thirteeth cycle. This is the fifth." Replied Cosmos.

"Oh. Well then... grovel before me mortals, for I have disturbed to forces of Rhythm!"

Cosmos sighed, "The musical cycle was moved to the seventh cycle. This is the tournament cycle."

Chaos rested his forehead on his palm, "I was going to tell you all about the Judgement of Chaos. But forget it. Instead... Fight!"

"You haven't announced who's fighting yet." Said Cosmos, a little irritated.

"Bah. You know that your Warrior of Light and Garland almost always go first." Said Chaos, lazily. Garland was always wrapped up in his armor, like it was bound to him. It was cool, but he wanted to see him without it more often. Garland was a sexy beast under all that armor.

The goddess was pepped up now, "That's right!" She squealed, knowing her champion would be fighting and getting all sweaty and maybe his helmet would come off and his hair would get wet! Not that anyone knew that though. "Now, begin!"


	7. Shining Warrior vs Dark Knight

Chapter 7: Shining Warrior vs. Fallen Knight! First Battle! Fight!

"Garland, I wish to know something," asked the Warrior. To him, the cycles were just another part of life, like another day, and so it wasn't uncommon for Garland to answser his questions because he would forget after the next purification. "Tell me, what is this? So many people have gathered here to fight. I remember losing the last cycle, but I shouldn't remember anything. Please, tell me."

Garland extended the chain on his weapon and swung it out like a flail. The Warrior quickly evaded the attack as the blade returned to its owner.

To Garland, the Warrior was an enemy, like everyone else besides Chaos and then Chaos didn't understand that he was self conscious around him and didn't like taking off his armor, or his chainmail socks! But the Warrior listened to him each and every time something came up, so even if he did have to be killed, he deserved answsers.

"Warrior, the world has been damaged," he said, as the Warrior sent a barrage of sword like projectles his way, "this is the god's way of continuing the cycle. They must have a reason. I encourage you to seek out your own answers though." Garland swung his weapon whipping up a cyclone that blocked the swords.

"Thank you." replied the Warrior, moving to avoid the path the cyclone was taking.

Garland dove through the cyclone, arriving above the Warrior, "Anytime. Now let's get back to business!"

Raising his shield and bracing for impact, the Warrior prepared to block Garland's attack. Garland brang his sword up and, switching to its axe mode, slammed down on his shield, causing him to buckle under the blow. One knee rested in the shallow waters of Sanctuary. "Garland, for the light, I will defeat you, here and now!" said the Warrior, as he used his free arm to slash at the dark knight's calves.

"You fight for nothing!" replied Garland, narrowly avoiding the blade and putting distance between them, "all that your victory will bring is more battles."

The Warrior charged forward, sword at the ready. He thrust his sword through an opening, only to be blocked by his opponents sword. Garland swiftly removed the second blade from his weapon and struck the Warrior square in his right arm, knocking him over, and slamming him into an invisible wall.

The Warrior was down, the pain of his arm kept him from pulling himself up. But now was not the time to lose hope!

The dark knight replaced his other sword and moved to finish his enemy, "hmph," he grunted, "a mockery. The Champion of Cosmos, defeated so easily."

Garland raised his sword, the lance-like tip facing the Warrior's chestplate, armed to finish the battle and his nemesis.

"Sora!" Cried the Warrior, and in a flash of light his savior came, blocking the fatal blow in time and, with a combo of quick strikes, threw the knight off balance.

"Hey now," said the boy, waving his key shaped weapon. He took the Warrior's hand, helping him to his feet, "don't have too much fun without me!"

The Warrior gave a quick "Thank you." Before Sora vanished. He tried to pick his sword up, but failed, the edge digging into the marble floor. His arm was in pain still, but he could still fight. He grasped the hilt, and prepared for his final attack, his sword glowing white with light.

Garland quickly recovered and, setting himself in a stance, gripped his greatsword, charging it with energy. It was his Flare, his most dangerous attack, and one that would leave him vulnerable if it missed. This would be the end, for one or the other.

"Garland. This is, my love, my anger, and all of my sorrow!" The Warrior pulled his blade from the ground, cutting the marble cleanly, and sending up a pillar of light, "Shining Wave!"

Garland lunged directly toward the pillar, his greatsword charged with a red glow. He tore through the light, striking the Warrior, the charged energy setting off a burst of fire in the apperance of a small star. Garland laughed, "Muwahaha! Feel the fires of Hell!"

The Warrior, lying on his back in the shallow water, saw Garland standing above him, his weapon in axe form.

Then he saw no more.

"The battle is over! The winner is Garland!" Announced Chaos, as the loudspeakers sounded out a victory tune. "go on give your winning words!"

The Sanctuary faded away until Garland was standing on the stone of the arena. He kicked the motionless body of the Warrior, "A pitiful battle, are there any amongst you vermin that could challenge me?"

The warriors were shocked, not knowing that this was a battle to the death. The gasps and uproar of the crowd made themselves known.

Lightning, in particular, was outraged. "See Fang?" She spit, "this is the result of 'lets see what happens'! Now he's dead and we're next! We're just entertainment to these 'gods'!"

"Light, I didnt-" began Fang.

"Shut it!" She pulled her Blazefire Saber, leaving it in gun mode, and turned toward the announcer's box, ready to kill this "goddess" before it got to her.

Suddenly a bright light appeared in the skies above the stadium and washed over the Warrior's body.

"Fear not," came the voice from the light, "nothing will die here. The warrior you see before you is simply, sleeping. In a few of your hours this Warrior will be revived, and resting in his cabin"

Lightning tried to refuse the voice, but its influence was like that of Cosmos, almighty, yet trusting. She felt that it was telling the truth, even though she had clearly seen the Warrior's head roll from his body, and that he would awaken soon. She couldn't fight it, and soon believed its words. She then blacked out.

"Continue, Cosmos, I will take the fallen and revive him. I have calmed the warriors, they will accept that their comrades are sleeping after battle. In a few moments they will wake from their trance, none the wiser."

"Thank you, Shinryu. Although I think between me and Chaos we could have calmed them." Said Cosmos

"I do not want conflict among the gods and warriors. They believe this is all for glory, and that is for the best."

The light faded and Lightning stood, wondering why she had her gunblade out. "Uh, what just happened?" She asked her also clueless team.

"I dunno," replied Sazh "that Warrior guy lost and then you went wavin' around your gun. Put that thing away!"

"Everyone, thank you for attending the match, you are now free to do what you wish between your fights. Also, you no longer have to be present for any other fights. Other than your own, of course," came the voice of the Goddess, "again, thank you and have a wonderful day!" Cosmos then left the stadium for the Warrior's cabin.


End file.
